One of the most personal questions patients ask about TMS has nothing to do with appointment length or side effects. It is: Will this treatment change who I am?
At Resiliency Mind + Body Medicine, we understand why that question comes up. TMS works by stimulating the brain, and it is natural to wonder whether changing brain activity could somehow change your personality, emotions or sense of self.
That is not what Deep TMS is designed to do.
BrainsWay Deep TMS targets neural networks involved in symptoms of depression. The goal is to reduce the symptoms that may be interfering with your energy, motivation, relationships and ability to enjoy life—not change the qualities that make you who you are.
Have questions about what TMS could mean for you? Contact Resiliency Mind + Body Medicine to speak with our clinical team.
Key Takeaways
- TMS is designed to treat symptoms, not alter a patient’s identity.
- Treatment targets specific regions involved in mood regulation.
- TMS does not intentionally erase memories or remove emotions.
- Research has not shown broad cognitive decline as an expected effect of treatment.
- Any concerning emotional or behavioral changes should be discussed with the treatment team.
Does TMS Change Your Personality?
There is no evidence that TMS is designed to rewrite someone’s personality.
Personality includes long-standing characteristics such as values, preferences, humor, interests and ways of relating to other people. TMS doesn’t target those traits. Instead, treatment for depression commonly focuses on the prefrontal cortex, an area associated with mood regulation, motivation and decision-making.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines a repetitive TMS system as an external device that uses pulsed magnetic fields to induce electrical activity in specific regions of the cerebral cortex. The treatment is targeted rather than applied broadly throughout the brain.
In practical terms, the treatment is intended to influence activity in a region connected to depressive symptoms. It’s not intended to replace your personality with a different one.
Why Might Someone Feel Different During TMS Treatment?
Although TMS isn’t intended to change personality, successful depression treatment can change how someone feels and functions.
Depression itself can affect:
- Energy and motivation
- Interest in relationships or hobbies
- Concentration and decision-making
- Sleep
- Emotional expression
- Confidence and hopefulness
As those symptoms improve, a person may become more social, energetic or engaged. Friends or family might notice that they seem different.
That doesn’t necessarily mean their personality has changed. It may mean depression is having less control over how they move through daily life. Some patients describe the experience as feeling more like themselves again. Others need time to adjust because they have lived with depression for months or years.
At Resiliency, we often think of successful treatment as helping patients regain parts of their lives that depression has been interfering with.
Can TMS Affect Memory or Thinking?
Memory loss is not an expected effect of TMS.
BrainsWay describes Deep TMS as a noninvasive treatment that does not require anesthesia or sedation, allowing patients to remain awake and alert throughout their sessions. Patients can generally return to normal activities afterward.
That is an important distinction for patients who may associate brain-based treatments with confusion or significant memory problems.
Depression itself can also affect concentration, memory and decision-making. As depression symptoms improve, some patients may find those areas easier to manage.
Any unusual or concerning changes should still be discussed with the treatment team.
Can TMS Affect Your Emotions?
The purpose of TMS is to reduce symptoms of a mental health condition, so emotional changes may occur.
For example, a patient might feel:
- More hopeful
- Less emotionally weighed down
- More interested in activities
- Better able to experience pleasure
- More motivated to interact with others
However, treatment should not leave someone feeling that their emotions or identity have been erased. Patients should tell their clinical team if they experience worsening depression, unusual behavior, severe anxiety, emotional numbness or other troubling changes.
The FDA specifically recommends monitoring patients for worsening depression, suicidal thoughts and unusual behavioral changes during treatment.
How Does Clinical Monitoring Help?
TMS shouldn’t be treated as a procedure that simply runs on autopilot.
A qualified provider should evaluate the patient before treatment, review relevant medical history and monitor symptoms as the course progresses. Standardized depression assessments can help the team identify gradual improvement or potential concerns.
Patients should also feel comfortable describing changes in their own words. If something feels unusual, the treatment team needs to know.
TMS may also be used alongside psychiatry and medication management or therapy. The overall plan should reflect the patient’s diagnosis, treatment history and goals.
How Can You Decide Whether TMS Feels Right for You?
TMS is designed to help reduce depression symptoms, not change the qualities that make you who you are.
As those symptoms improve, you may feel different. You may have more energy, interest, motivation or emotional connection.
At Resiliency Mind + Body Medicine, we see those changes through the lens of helping patients move toward the version of themselves that depression has made harder to access. And throughout treatment, our team is there to monitor those changes, answer questions, and make sure your care continues to fit your needs.
Ready to learn whether TMS may fit your treatment needs? Contact Resiliency Mind + Body Medicine to request an evaluation.